Process and apparatus for folding valves in bags



Aug. 28, 1928.

A. M. BATES ET AL PROCESS AND APPARATUS FOR FOLDING VALVES IN BAGS Filed Aug; 1'7, 1925 4 Sheets-Sheet 1 iii flde/merfliBates. Geo/ye PDo/Vr' Gummy Aug. 28, 1928.

A. M. BATES ET AL PROCESS AND APPARATUS FOR FOLDING VALVES IN BAGS 4 Sheets-Shea} 2 Filed Aug. 17, 1925 A de/mer/IBates.

Geo/7e PDorr 353, M, M W

Aug. 28, 1928. v1,682,107

I I A. M. BATES ET AL PROCESS AND APPARATUS FOR FOLDING VALVES IN BAGS Filed Aug. 17, 1925 4 Sheets-Sheet 5 I! E1 E Qwuwwtoz J j Ade/mer/lfBmes.

Georye PDorr.

Aug. 28, 1928.

A. M. BATES ET AL PROCESS AND APPARATUS FOR FOLDING VALVES IN BAGS 4 Sheets-Sheet 4 Filed Aug. 17, 1925 Patented Aug. 28, 1928.

UNITED STATES I 1,682,107 PATENT. OFFICE.

AD'ELMER BATES AND GEORGE 1?. DORE, OF CHICAGO, ILLINOIS, ASSIGNORS, BY 7 MESNE ASSIGNMENTS, TO BATES VALVE BAG CORPORATION, OF CHICAGO ILLINOIS A. CORPORATION OF DELAWARE.

' PROCESS AND APPARATUS FOR FOLDING VALVES 'm BAGS.

Application filed August 17, 1925. Serial No. 50,586.

Our invention relates to a process and apparatus for producing valve bags and has for its object to furnish a method and apparatus,

by which the corners of bags may be folded accurately and expeditiously to form valves. Our invention is particularly applicable to the formation of valves in gusseted bags and will be described as used for that purpose.

In the accompanying drawings, showing one form of apparatus used, Figure 1 1s a perspective view of the apparatus; Flgs. 2, 3 and 4 are enlarged views of a portion of Fig. 1, showing the valve and valve-forming mechanism in difierent stages of the Valve-forming process; Fig. 5 is an enlarged plan view of the valving mechanism; Fig. 6 is a side elevation of the same; Fig. 7 is a view similar to Fig 5, showing the parts in the position in wh ch they are shown in Fig. 2; Fig. 8 1s a partial end view, showing power means for operat ng the valver; and Fig. 9 is a partial side View of the mechanism. shown in Fig. 8.

The apparatus includes a bag-supporting table top 10 supported in any convenient manner, as by legs 11. To one side of this table top there is attached a casing 12, enclosing the greater part of the valver mechanism. At the end of the table there is a stop 13. The casing 12 and stop 13 are positioned so that they form guides for properly locating a bag 14 with respect to the valver. The .bag shown has a. gusset 15 along its side and has its corner 16 extended somewhat beyond the other portions of the bag end.

The essential parts of the valving mechanism comprise gripping devices 17, Spreaders 18 and a tucking finger 19. In the construction shown, the gripping devices are pivoted at 20 and have extensions beyond the pivot carrying anti-friction wheels 21, adapted to co-operate with cam surfaces 22 on a slide 23.

Beneath the valver casing there is a rock shaft 24 mounted in a bracket 25 and having an upwardly extending arm 26. A link 27 connects the upper end of arm 26 .to cam a slide 23.

Parallel with the cam slide there is a slide rod 28 having a shoulder 29 against which the cam slide abuts at certain times. The cam slide and slide rod are connected by a pin and slot connection 30 which permits a certain amount of lost motion between the two sliding members but holds them in the same relative position otherwise. The

has aflixed thereto a collar 34, and a spring 35,

abutting-against this collar, normally holds the slide rod and Spreaders in the position shown in Figs. 1 and 5.

A tucking finger is pivoted at 36, and bell crank lever 37, suitably pivoted upon the eas- 1 ng, 1s connected by a link 38 to the tucking finger and has its other arm 39 in position to be contacted by an abutment 40 on the slide rod, so that final movement of the slide rod to the left from the position shown in Fig. 7 operates the tucking finger. Means 41 is proyided for pressing against link 38. The tucking finger normally remains in whatever pos1t1on 1t has been moved to by the slide rod, until it is forcibly moved from that position.

An abutment 42 on the slide rod returns the tucking finger to its original position near the end of the movement of the slide rod to the right. When the .slide rod and cam slide are moved a suflicient distance to the right, the grippers are opened by the spring 43, which holds the anti-friction Wheels in contact with the slide.

Rock shaft 24 has an approximately hori* zontal arm' 44 connected by a link 45 to the end ofa lever 46. Lever 46 is in turn connected by a link 47 to a lever 48, carrying a foot pedal 49 and fulcrumed at 50 upon a .sprocket wheel 59 driven by a chain 60' from any Suitable source of power. Preferably this sprocket wheel is driven continuously. Sleeve 58 carries one portion 61 of a clutch member, while the co-operating portion 62 is carried by shaft 57. A foot lever 63 is suitably mounted upon the frame beneath the clutch and is normally raised by a spring 64. Lever 63 is connected by a link 65 to an arm 66 extending from a rock shaft-67. An arm 68 extending upward from the rock shaft 67 has a shoulder .69 upon which trip member 70 of the clutch normally rests. When the lever is depressed, arm 68 is thrown out of engagement with the trip member and the clutch is closed. In order to insure the opening of the clutch after it has made one revolution, even if the operators foot should not be taken from the lever in time, there is a safety stop 71 which is normally drawn by a spring 72 against a stop 73. A pin 74 is provided, by means of which the safety member 71 is moved into the path of latch 70 when shoulder 69 is moved out of that path.

The operation of the device is as follows:

A bag is placed upon the table, with one side abutting the valver casing and one end abutting the stop 13 and with spreader members 18 extending into the gusset of the bag. Rock shaft 24.: is then turned by pressing on foot pedal 49 or by closing the clutch shown in Figs. 8 and 9. Actuation of the rock shaft moves the upper end of arm 26 to the left, as viewed in Figs. 5 to 7. The first result of this movement is to close the grippers by action of cam surfaces 22 against anti-friction wheels 21. Continued movement of the slide causes it to abut against shoulder 29 and move slide rod 28 therewith. This results in opening the spreaders so as to cause the parts to assume the position shown in Figs. 2 and 7. Continued movement of the rod, after abutment 40 strikes arm 39, results in the movement of the tucking finger to the position in which it is shown in Fig. 3;

Upon the return of the slide rod, under the force of spring 35, the spreaders are nearly closed before abutment 42 strikes arm 39, so that the tucking finger remains inthe position in which it is shown in Fig. 3 until the spreaders are nearly closed, and is returned to its original position by contact of abutment 42 near the end of the movement of rod 28. Slide 23 is pushed by shoulder 29 so far that wheels 21 reach cam surfaces 22, and

the act-ion of these wheels pressed against cam surfaces 22 by spring 43 results in the final movement of slide 23 to the position in which it is shown inFigs. 5 and 6, whereupon the bag may be removed with the corner tucked in to form a valve, and another bag may be placed in position and the operation repeated.

It will be understood from the above that the essential operations in forming such a valve as that indicated in the drawings comprise gripping the side of the bag at a distance from thecorner, spreading the sides of the bag between the point where it is gripped and the corner in the manner shown in Fig. 2, so that the apex of the gusset fold extends outward, in aline substantially normal to its original position, from the point where it is gripped to a point even with the edge of the bag, tucking in the end of the gusset fold, so that it lies at right angles to its original position, as shown in Fig. 3, and finally closing the sides of the bag upon this iii-tucked portion, as shown in Fig. 4.

Thereafter, the bag may be closed in any suitable manner, as by sewing a seam along dotted line 75 shown in Fig. a.

While an operative device has been fully described, so that apparatus could be constructed and used in accordance With the disclosure, it will be understood that the scope of the invention is not-confined to the particular mechanical operating devices herein disclosed, but that the apparatus may be considerably varied while retaining the essential features of the invention. For example, suction means within the gusset or within the bag might be used in place of the grippers, and suction means might be applied to the sides of the bag in place of the Spreaders, and the various operating devices might be actuated in a variety of ways. It will be understood, therefore, that, while the above disclosure describes the process and apparatus at present preferred, the invention is not confined to the exact disclosure, but the scope of the invention is defined by the appended claims. v

What we claim is:

1. In valving apparatus, means to hold collapsed the side of a length of bag tubing adjacent the corner thereof, means to spread timed relation to the first said means to tuck in the corner of the bag between the spreadapart walls. I

3. In valving apparatus, means to hold collapsed the side of a length of bag tubing adjacent the corner thereof, means to spread apart the sides of the tube between the holding means and the corner of the tube, and

means to tuck in the corner of the tube between the spread sides, the operating devices for said spreading means and tucking means being so related that the spreading means collapses the sides of the tube While the tucking means holds the corner tucked in.

4. Invalving apparatus for gusseted bags, means to separate the sides of a gusseted bag tube at one corner so as to straighten the gusset fold and means to tuck the-material of thegusset in'between the spread sides so that the line along the apex of the fold turns first outward and then inward at substantially right angles to the side of the bag. v i

iao

5. In valving apparatus for gusseted bags, means to separate the walls of a bag and straighten thagusset-along a line spaced from one end of the bag, and means to tuck between the spread apart walls the material of the gusset extending from said line to the end of the bag.

6. In 'valving apparatus for gusseted bags, means to hold the gusset fold in collapsed condition near one corner of a bag, means to where they are spread apart.

8-. In valving apparatus for gusseted bags, means to hold together the gusseted side of a bag tube near its end, means to spread apart the sides of the tube between the holding point and the end, and means to tuck the material of the end of the gusset in between the spread apart walls of the tube.

9. In apparatus for valving gussted bags, clamps adapted to grip the gusseted side of a bag tube near its end, spreaders adapted to enter the gusset between the clamp and the end of the tube, and a finger adapted to tuck the end of the gusset in between the walls spread apart by the spreaders.

10. In apparatus for valving gusseted bags, clamps adapted to grip the gusseted side of a bag tube near its end, triangular spreaders in position to enter the gusset between the clamp and the end of the tube, means to oscillate the spreaders to spread apart the side walls of the tube, and a finger adapted to tuck the end of the gusset in between the walls spread apart by the spreaders.

11. In apparatus for valving gusseted bags, clamps adapted to grip the gusseted side of a bag tube near its end, spreaders normally lying with their points adjacent the apex of the gusset near the clamp and with their'edges sloping outward and towards the end of the tube, means to oscillate the spreaders about axes substantially ,parallelWith the clamps and approximately passing through the points of the spreaders, and a finger adapted to tuck the end of the gusset in between the Walls spread apart by the spreaders.

12. In apparatus, for tucking in the corner of a bag to form a valve, a support for a bag, two abutments at rightangles to each other,

adapted to contact one side and one end of a.

bag on the support and accurately position the same, and va vlng apparatus in position to tuck in thecorner of a bag contacting said abutments.

13. In apparatus for tucking in the corner of a bag to form a valve, a table upon which a bag may be rested, mechanical means for tucking in the corner of a bag resting on said table, and a foot lever adapted to cause the operation of said means.

14. In apparatus for tucking in the corner of a bag to form a valve, a support for a bag, mechanical means for tucking in the corner of a bag on said support, a continuously operating drive means, and means for connecting said drive means to said tucking means to drive said tucking means through one cycle of movements to tuck in the corner of a bag.

15. The process of forming a valve in a bag, which consists in pressing together the walls ofthe bag at one side thereof and near one corner, spreading apart the sides of the bag between the corner and the point where they are held together, and tucking the corner of the bag in between the spread apart sides.

16. The process of forming a valve in a gusseted bag, which consists in holding apart the walls of a bag so as to hold straight the gusset side along a transverse line spaced from one end of the bag, tucking between the spaced apart walls the material of the gusset side between said line and the end ofthe bag, and collapsing the walls upon thetucked-in materia 17. The process of formin a valve in a gusseted bag, which consists in holding collapsed a gusset in the side of a bag near one corner, spreading apart the sides of the bag gusseted bag, which consists in spreading apart the sides of the bag near one corner so as to substantially straighten the gusset at that corner, tucking the end of the gusset in between the spread apart sides and collapsing the sides against the infolded gusset.

19. The process of forming a valve in a gusseted bag, which consists in unfolding the usseted side at one end while holding olded position the apex of the gusset told at a distance .from said end, then bending .the gusseted side at said end in between the adj acent sides and away from the end of the bag and collapsing the fold, sothat the'apex 'of the fold at said end lies transversely of the bag.

side of the fold line inwardly between the sides of the tube, and folding the sides to 120 i 20. The method of forming a tube having a valve therein for use in forming a valved bag which comprises forming a tube with, 'plicated sides, spreading the plicated side getherand at the same time folding together on the center line of the plicated side a triangular shaped portion on the'opposite side of the fold line.

21. The method of forming a tube having a valve therein for use in making a valved bag which comprises forming a tube having plicated sides, spreading the plicated side at the corner of the tube so as to form a flat- 10 tened portion having a stiffened fold line one side of the axis inwardly between the sides of the tube with said fold line as an 15 fold line lying substantially parallel between 20 the side edges of the tube. I In testimony whereof, we have "hereunto signed our names to this specification.

ADELMER M. BATES. GEORGE P. DORR. 

